期刊
MOLECULES
卷 23, 期 10, 页码 -出版社
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/molecules23102583
关键词
fatty acid synthesis; cellular membranes; membrane remodelling; biomarkers; omega-3 fatty acids; specialized lipids; glycerophospholipids; storage lipids; lipid bodies; lipidomics
资金
- Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, Portugal FCT Investigator 2013 [IF/01203/2013/CP1163/CT0002]
- [UID/BIA/00329/2013]
- [UID/BIO/04565/2013]
- Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [IF/01203/2013/CP1163/CT0002, UID/BIO/04565/2013] Funding Source: FCT
Lipids comprise a large group of chemically heterogeneous compounds. The majority have fatty acids (FA) as part of their structure, making these compounds suitable tools to examine processes raging from cellular to macroscopic levels of organization. Among the multiple roles of FA, they have structural functions as constituents of phospholipids which are the building blocks of cell membranes; as part of neutral lipids FA serve as storage materials in cells; and FA derivatives are involved in cell signalling. Studies on FA and their metabolism are important in numerous research fields, including biology, bacteriology, ecology, human nutrition and health. Specific FA and their ratios in cellular membranes may be used as biomarkers to enable the identification of organisms, to study adaptation of bacterial cells to toxic compounds and environmental conditions and to disclose food web connections. In this review, we discuss the various roles of FA in prokaryotes and eukaryotes and highlight the application of FA analysis to elucidate ecological mechanisms. We briefly describe FA synthesis; analyse the role of FA as modulators of cell membrane properties and FA ability to store and supply energy to cells; and inspect the role of polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) and the suitability of using FA as biomarkers of organisms.
作者
我是这篇论文的作者
点击您的名字以认领此论文并将其添加到您的个人资料中。
推荐
暂无数据